Jack and Jane had not seen each other for decades but when destiny brought them together after all those years, waves of nostalgia washed over them and they could view their lives in a whole new perspective.
They had started off as friends who had spent many an afternoon together, working through their school work, talking about their dreams and passions. They were friends but they were very different individuals and it was only a matter of time that their paths would diverge and they would be pulled apart by the forces of life. Today, after all those years, they could see the differences that made them who they were. They had started off from similar places but their lives had taken on very different trajectories.
Even as a kid, Jane was relentlessly determined. Somehow, she had this great sense of clarity and purpose about what she wanted to be and about how her life should be. Very early in life, she knew exactly what she wanted to do and how she wanted to do it too. She strove for perfection, for immaculate precision and for sublime clarity in her field of interest. Nothing could distract her or shift her focus. She achieved her dreams with great elan and was soon a successful professional who was a respected figure in her field. She was a part of many landmark events in her area of interest but her interest and expertise did not extend to areas beyond that. She did not know or care about things other than her favorite subject. She had single-mindedly dedicated her life and her mind to the pursuit of excellence in her profession.
Jack, on the other hand, formed the other end of the spectrum with his inherent curiosity and sense of adventure. He had barely left any field untouched. He dabbled in almost anything under the sun. He was not the expert on anything but he sure knew a fair bit about almost anything under the sun. He tried his hand at many a thing and acquired these many skills with great panache. From photography, to mechanics, to science, to history, to art and food. He had diverse interests and he nurtured them at every available opportunity. He could not say he didn't like something till he actually tried it and he lacked the sense of surety with which Jane made her choices. He somehow lacked the dogged pursuit and fierce determination that pushed Jane ahead. But he was extremely passionate about every skill he acquired. He was a man with a great many talents and realized more about himself with every choice he made. His thirst for knowledge and desire for learning kept him on a lookout for newer arenas.
Two lives - that started the same way but ended differently. While Jane's life grew like a Date palm - tall and erect, with one single goal, and a single obsession. Jack tried many a different paths and branched out like the banyan. He was not as tall or specialized as the palm but he covered a lot of ground. They had two completely different approaches and two completely different perspectives. Who is to say which is better and which is not ? It's just who we are that determines what we become, not where we start off from.
I am not sure where my loyalties lie amidst these two schools of thought but a drive for the diversity in knowledge that Jack had seems more attractive to my mind than the expertise that Jane built over the years. While, the allure of perfection and brilliance is also very strong for me, it gets offset by the adventure and the thrill of learning and trying something new. And perhaps, somewhere deep down, I lack the courage to choose one option and to make my peace with it. My mind wants to explore everything that comes its way before making that "final" choice and before taking a call. So, I guess, despite learning through my entire childhood that "A jack of all trades is the master of none", I tend to grow more as a Banyan, than as a palm.
Which tree are you ?
They had started off as friends who had spent many an afternoon together, working through their school work, talking about their dreams and passions. They were friends but they were very different individuals and it was only a matter of time that their paths would diverge and they would be pulled apart by the forces of life. Today, after all those years, they could see the differences that made them who they were. They had started off from similar places but their lives had taken on very different trajectories.
Even as a kid, Jane was relentlessly determined. Somehow, she had this great sense of clarity and purpose about what she wanted to be and about how her life should be. Very early in life, she knew exactly what she wanted to do and how she wanted to do it too. She strove for perfection, for immaculate precision and for sublime clarity in her field of interest. Nothing could distract her or shift her focus. She achieved her dreams with great elan and was soon a successful professional who was a respected figure in her field. She was a part of many landmark events in her area of interest but her interest and expertise did not extend to areas beyond that. She did not know or care about things other than her favorite subject. She had single-mindedly dedicated her life and her mind to the pursuit of excellence in her profession.
Jack, on the other hand, formed the other end of the spectrum with his inherent curiosity and sense of adventure. He had barely left any field untouched. He dabbled in almost anything under the sun. He was not the expert on anything but he sure knew a fair bit about almost anything under the sun. He tried his hand at many a thing and acquired these many skills with great panache. From photography, to mechanics, to science, to history, to art and food. He had diverse interests and he nurtured them at every available opportunity. He could not say he didn't like something till he actually tried it and he lacked the sense of surety with which Jane made her choices. He somehow lacked the dogged pursuit and fierce determination that pushed Jane ahead. But he was extremely passionate about every skill he acquired. He was a man with a great many talents and realized more about himself with every choice he made. His thirst for knowledge and desire for learning kept him on a lookout for newer arenas.
Two lives - that started the same way but ended differently. While Jane's life grew like a Date palm - tall and erect, with one single goal, and a single obsession. Jack tried many a different paths and branched out like the banyan. He was not as tall or specialized as the palm but he covered a lot of ground. They had two completely different approaches and two completely different perspectives. Who is to say which is better and which is not ? It's just who we are that determines what we become, not where we start off from.
I am not sure where my loyalties lie amidst these two schools of thought but a drive for the diversity in knowledge that Jack had seems more attractive to my mind than the expertise that Jane built over the years. While, the allure of perfection and brilliance is also very strong for me, it gets offset by the adventure and the thrill of learning and trying something new. And perhaps, somewhere deep down, I lack the courage to choose one option and to make my peace with it. My mind wants to explore everything that comes its way before making that "final" choice and before taking a call. So, I guess, despite learning through my entire childhood that "A jack of all trades is the master of none", I tend to grow more as a Banyan, than as a palm.
Which tree are you ?
2 comments:
what tree are you!
I like the bit about specialization; I also like the bit about diversification. I specialized in one area with a lot of branches into other areas. Is there a Palm tree with branches like the Banyan?
I guess the palm tree and its branches at the top are a good reflection for that... no ? After all, they have a common origin from one field... :)
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